Impulse
by Alis Grave Nil
Summary: It all started with an impulse. Kowalski is confused by Rico's sudden attentions. Kowalski/Rico.
1. Struck by You

**Impulse**

**Chapter 1: Struck by You**

It started with an impulse. Kowalski was hard at work on the TV, trying to find a way to upgrade it to high definition. Needless to say, without their daily entertainment, the others were a little bored. Skipper and Private took the time to go train. Rico seemed to have other ideas on his mind. He hung about, watching curiously and spitting up whatever tools Kowalski happened to need at the moment.

Rico cocked his head to the side curiously, watching as the taller penguin worked. He was fascinated by his teammate's clear concentration. He was always like that when working, of course. The cogs of Kowalski's mind never stopped turning. At least, not until he was the last remaining penguin, faced with possible death, but that had been another story. Rico chuckled a little at the thought, though it didn't earn so much as a glance from the other penguin.

It was such a simple action. He just leaned closer to Kowalski, sniffing very lightly. He recognized it, the crisp scent of salt water. Appealing to any penguin.

"Uh, Rico?"

The manic penguin blinked, raising his eyes to meet his teammate's. Kowalski's eyes were blue. He'd never been close enough to notice.

"You're, uh, in the radius of my personal bubble."

Rico smiled, stepping even closer. Kowalski was surprised, taking a little step back when the shorter penguin took in his scent again. He'd always known Rico to do strange things, but never like this. For a moment he wondered if it was supposed to be a hint to go bathe, but Rico actually seemed to be enjoying it.

_Skipper always told us to use all our senses_, Kowalski remembered uncertainly. _Perhaps he's just practicing._ It seemed pretty unlikely. Rico gave another chuckle before waddling away toward the ladder.

Kowalski stared after him, not knowing what to make of what had just happened.

-

It happened again only a couple days later. Kowalski and Rico were sparring with one another on Skipper's instruction. They already knew who would win, of course. When it came to strength, Rico won by a long shot, but it was only practice.

Kowalski was caught of guard again when he was pushed back, stumbling into one of the walls. Rico had him pinned against it by the flippers. He leaned closer, taking in the taller penguin's scent again.

The smooth, black feathers on the back of Kowalski's neck stood up, and he shivered, hearing Rico's soft, rumbling chuckle.

"Good work, men!" Skipper praised as he approached, and Rico immediately released him. "You managed to last five more seconds than usual, Kowalski."

Kowalski gave an awkward smile, trying to keep his eyes away from his crazed teammate. "Thank you, Skipper."

"Private, your turn!"

"Righto, Skippa'!"

Kowalski stepped back, watching the sparring match closely. He couldn't help but notice that Rico did not try and lean close to Private as he had to him. Did it mean something? The tallest penguin slipped away for a moment to find his clipboard, beginning to scribble down his theories.

-

Kowalski kept a close eye on Rico, studying him. He didn't show the same strange behavior around the others. For a moment Kowalski thought of trying to talk to the manic penguin, but the idea was quickly wiped away. Rico's words were always useful, but rare. How often did he say more than a single word?

"Time to hit the sack, boys."

Kowalski looked up, hearing their leader speak. Realizing what he'd said, he began to put his things away. When he turned around, he came face to face with his current subject of analysis.

Rico smiled widely and Kowalski took a step back, already knowing what was going to happen. Just as he guessed, the shorter penguin leaned in, smelling him. To Kowalski's surprise, though, this time he stepped even closer, nuzzling his beak into the smooth feathers. He was absolutely stunned, even as Rico stepped away again to find his bed.

_A gesture of affection?_ It didn't make any sense at all. Didn't Rico have sensitivity to those kinds of things? Last he remembered, it had been what made him throw up that live bomb. _Is that what all this is?_

"Kowalski!"

The intellectual penguin nearly jumped out of his skin, scurrying into his bed. He did not fall asleep as quickly as the others, his mind working furiously.

-

Kowalski could feel Rico's eyes on him and he blushed dark red, though it was hard to tell beneath the feathers. Clearing his throat, he stood up straight as Skipper addressed him. "All things are in order, sir. Although the chimps seem to have developed a new sort of code."

All eyes turned toward the chimp cages in time to see Phil scratch his rear. A short pause later, Mason did the same.

"Those fiends. They're planning something..." Skipper rubbed the bottom of his beak in thought before pointing to his strategies expert. "Kowalski, Rico. Recon!"

Kowalski saluted, but couldn't help but glance nervously at Rico. He shook his head at himself. _You could compromise the mission if you don't trust your teammates, Kowalski_, he reminded himself, reluctantly speaking. "This way, Rico."

The pair jumped, landing on their bellies outside of the exhibit, sliding across the concrete. They jumped up again, pressing their backs to a 'bathrooms this way' sign. They carefully leaned out from behind it to peer out at the chimps. Kowalski pulled out his clipboards, scribbling something down each time one of the chimps so much as twitched.

Rico smiled slowly. Never one to miss an opportunity, he leaned closer to the taller penguin, nuzzling the back of his neck. He could feel the other tense up in surprise.

"Rico, we're on a mission..."

Another low chuckle from his teammate. Rico pushed Kowalski into a nearby wall, burying his face into his feathers and surrounding himself in the fresh, salt-water scent.

Kowalski wasn't sure what to do. They were supposed to be on a mission, after all, and here Rico was completely disregarding for _this_. He'd never known one of his teammates to do something like that. He carefully moved to nudge the shorter penguin away, but it only caused Rico to wrap his flippers around him, nuzzling closer.

He was utterly confused, unsure of what to make of this hug. _Does he want retaliated affection?_ The question stirred in Kowalski's head for a moment and finally he decided it was the only thing he could think of. He raised his flippers, carefully returning the embrace.

Rico gave something comparable to a purr - although with his deep voice, it sounded a little more like a growl - and Kowalski smiled.


	2. Two and Two

**Impulse**

**Chapter 2: Two and Two**

Skipper raised an eyebrow as he watched his crewmates. Private was happily sitting in front of the (now high definition) TV, eyes glued to the latest episode of _Rebelde_. The leader shook his had at his youngest soldier, instead turning his attention to the other two.

It was odd, seeing the two of them actually working together. Kowalski had always been the brains while Rico was more of a man of action. They'd always gotten along, of course, they were good friends and teammates… but they usually stuck to their own hobbies. Today, both seemed fine working on Kowalski's latest experiment. Even Rico's doll had been left in the corner for the past hour or so.

Had he missed something?

Of course, most of his questions were answered when Kowalski allowed Rico to push a button and whatever he was working on inside of the glass exploded.

"Kaboom!" the weapons expert echoed, obviously pleased with the result, while the taller penguin made a quick note on his clipboard.

The sound hadn't even disturbed Private. Shaking his head, Skipper approached eying the experiment. "What're you two knuckleheads working on?"

Kowalski looked up, pulling off the goggles he'd been wearing. "Thermochemistry, Skipper. Explosive chemical reactions."

Skipper cocked his head to the side, clearly interested. "Which one was that?"

"Root beer and pop rocks," Kowalski shuddered at the idea of those being in someone's stomach. "Myth confirmed."

"Kaboom!" Rico repeated, chuckling psychotically.

"Noted," Skipper responded, eying the glass container uncertainly. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the others. "It's time for training boys. Meet me up top at 1900 hours."

Both saluted and Skipper glanced back. "Hear that, Private?"

"1900 hours. Got it, Skippa'!" the littlest penguin's eyes were still fixed on the TV.

"Good."

The leader turned to go and Kowalski began cleaning up. At least, until he felt Rico move into his personal space again. He smiled a little, despite himself. "We have to go train, Rico. Skipper's orders."

Rico gave a little 'hmph', stepping even closer and nuzzling his beak into the taller penguin's feathers. He felt like staying there a little longer. Kowalski reluctantly nudged his teammate away. "Not now," he told him firmly. "You don't want to get in trouble with Skipper, do you?"

Rico made a face at the idea. Dragging his webbed feet a little, he made his way to the ladder to go meet the team leader. Kowalski watched him go, releasing a heavy sigh. He smoothed his feathers down where the manic penguin had nuzzled. He still didn't understand. Then again, did he ever understand anything Rico did?

-

Kowalski resisted the urge to sigh as they looked out at the surrounding people, waving cutely. This had to be his least favorite part of the job. It was the only time he wasn't allowed to scribble down his thoughts and ideas. Private seemed to enjoy a bit of attention and Skipper really enjoyed any part of his job, although Kowalski had to admit it was probably worst for their weapons expert, who was far from 'cute and cuddly'.

The tallest penguin paused, glancing over his shoulder at Rico. At least, far from cute… he realized. He didn't seemed to opposed to being at least a little cuddly, for short periods of time.

As a young couple in the crowd yelled, Kowalski quickly turned his attention once more, hopping up and down for a… strategically adorable effect, getting more than a few 'Aww's, including one from the female of the pair. The male seemed to have other thoughts on his mind. The strategies expert watched in fascination as he leaned close to his mate, sniffing her perfume.

It couldn't be the same… could it?

-

Kowalski tensed up in alarm as he felt Rico move close to him again. He face heated up beneath his feathers and he turned his head away, laughing nervously. "Rico?"

The only response he gained was a light grunt of recognition. The taller penguin swallowed thickly, unsure of what to ask. Finally, "Who do you do that?"

Rico pulled away a moment, blinking slowly as he seemed to consider it. Finally, he gave a brief shrug in an 'I don't know' gesture, turning to go find his seat in front of the TV next to the others.

Kowalski stared after him. _It's not the same as the humans,_ he tried to tell himself. _Sometimes animals recognize each other by scent. Why can't Rico? … But then why doesn't he do the same to Skipper and Private?_

"Bring the popcorn over here, K'walski!"

Realizing he was caught up in his own thoughts again, Kowalski quickly grabbed the bowl, passing it to Private as he asked. He turned toward his bunk.

"Not going to watch the movie, Kowalski?" Skipper asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"It's a good one," Private threw in, smiling widely.

"Uh, I just remembered I have some calculations to finish…" Kowalski could see Skipper roll his eyes, but ignored it. He climbed into bed, grabbing his clipboard. _Penguins choose a mate based on their vocals,_ he tried to reason, scribbling his thoughts down quickly. _Females want a male that can stand long fasting periods. A bigger male. Bigger males usually have a deeper voice…_

He glanced up and for a moment, his eyes locked with Rico's. _Rico's not a female,_ he realized, looking away. _And he certainly doesn't decide based on voice…_


	3. The Scientific Method

A/N: Just a warning, there's a very light Skipper/Private in this chapter. xD Impulse

**Chapter 3: The Scientific Method**

Kowalski was an intellectual. That was obvious, of course, but he finally decided to treat the situation like one. Instead of sitting around, waiting for this thing to answer itself, he was going to figure it out himself, using the greatest process of experimentation known to man. The scientific method.

Kowalski furrowed his brows, staring at his notebook. Step one: Ask a question. He mulled over his thoughts for a moment before scrawling down the simple question.

_What makes Rico so attracted to my scent?_

Step two: Research. Kowalski furrowed his brows in thought. Now where to get the information. He turned his attention to the team leader, who was making sushi. "Skipper," he spoke up, sliding off his bunk to waddle over to the shorter penguin.

Skipper jumped to attention, a knife in each flipper, but, realizing who it was, relaxed. "What is it Kowalski?"

"I'm doing some research. I'd like permission to go to the Zoovenir tonight." He hesitated a moment, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "Alone." He knew it would be difficult to convince the leader. It completely went against the penguin credo.

"Kowlaski, you know the credo!" Just as he'd guessed. "Never swim alone."

"I was just thinking about getting one of those documentaries-"

Skipper made a face at the very thought, remembering the last one they'd watched. The only one who'd come out of it without puking was Rico. "Alright, fine. Be back by 1800 hours."

Kowalski smiled and nodded, giving a quick salute.

-

After several terrifying hours of both documentaries and _Zoobooks_, Kowalski felt he'd done enough research. He also felt he needed a huge glass of water to get rid of the acidic taste in his mouth.

Dragging himself back the headquarters, he rubbed his stomach. The others seemed fixated on the TV again, and he was glad, wanting to just go back to his work. Finding his way to his bunk, he looked over his notes. Indeed, for many species of animals, scent was very important.

What had caught his attention most had been what he'd been afraid of, though. Many animals use scent to find a mate. He honestly didn't know what to make of the research. Still, it was time for Step 3: Constructing a hypothesis.

If my scent is what Rico looks for, then he should be able to pick it out from multiple scents.

Kowalski gave the notes one more quick glance before nodding. Then it was time for Step 4: Test with an experiment. The tallest penguin turned his attention. He could see the back of Rico's head and he shifted nervously. Now how to do this subtly…

-

"Whatcha workin' on, K'walski?" Private asked, staring curiously at the various vials that had been set out on the table.

Kowlaski felt himself go red beneath his feathers. He gave an uneasy laugh, "Oh, it's nothing, Private. Just a little experiment." He quickly snatched a vial as the youngest penguin moved to grab it, holding it well out of his reach. "It's, uh. Quite delicate."

Private put on a small pout. "I can be careful, K'walski, I swear on it."

"It's probably best-" Kowalski cut himself off, an idea popping into his head. _I suppose I'll need someone to compare Rico's results to_. He smiled, lowering the vial so that Private could wrap his little flippers around it. "Alright. I need a little help anyways."

Private lit up like a hundred watt bulb, always ready to help. "What do you need help with?"

"Well," the tallest penguin began to explain, "I'm doing an experiment on… uh… the different senses." Probably best not to let him in on too much. He didn't want to scar the boy. "I'm working on smell right now."

"Oh, you want me to smell them, K'walski?" Private figured, smiling widely and nodding. "I can do that!"

"Good," Kowlaski chuckled at his enthusiasm. "I want you to smell two at a time. If you like vial A more than vial B, then set vial B aside and compare A to the next one. Got it?"

Private nodded eagerly again. He popped open the first vile, taking in the scent before moving on to the next one. Kowalski watched nervously, keeping track of the ones the smallest penguin set aside. He shifted, clutching his notebook tightly as Private moved on to the vial he numbered as '7'. It was his own scent, or as close as he could possibly get. There was a brief silence as he waited.

Finally, Private set 7 aside, sticking with number 3. Kowalski was satisfied, but he let Private finish anyways.

"I like this one," Private announced, holding up number 9 as his end result. Kowalski raised an eyebrow, glancing down at his chart. Wasn't that the scent he'd gotten from one of Skipper's feathers? He shook his head, looking back up at Private and offering a smile.

"Perfect. Thank you, Private."

"Sure thing, K'walski! By the way, why are you-"

"Hey Private!"

Private's attention snapped to the side as he was called by the team leader and eagerly, he ran to the older penguin, read for whatever job would be assigned to him. Kowalski was both relieved and curious, but he decided to just let it go for now.

Shaking his head, he focused on the vials. He supposed it was time to test Rico now. He was nervous, not even sure of the other would agree. And there was a little feeling in his gut. What would happen if he was right?


	4. Pumpkin Eater

**Impulse**

**Chapter 4: Pumpkin Eater  
**

Kowalski glanced nervously over his shoulder at Rico. Alright… he could do this. No point in being nervous about it. Rico probably wouldn't figure out why he was doing this, right?

Nodding to himself, he stepped up to the shorter penguin, offering a smile. "Rico," the weapons expert tilted his head back enough to see him. "Mind helping me with a little experiment?"

Rico grunted, standing up and turning to face him. Kowalski smiled, leading him to the table and beginning to explain the experiment just as he had to Private. "So, all I need is for you to pick your favorite. Got it?"

Kowalski watched nervously as Rico peered over the different little vials, seeming to be trying to decide whether he wanted to do it or not. Finally, he nodded, beginning to go through each of them, though Kowalski could still see the cogs of his mind turning. Despite what anyone thought, Rico was more observant than he appeared.

The strategies expert watched in confusion as Rico moved from vial to vial, never even picking one up. Did that mean he didn't like any of them? He even passed up number 7.

Rico grunted unhappily as he reached the last of the vials, shaking his head. He turned his attention to Kowalski. The taller penguin frowned. "So… none of them?"

Rico smiled slowly, moving closer and once again nuzzling his beak into Kowalski's feathers. "_K'walski_."

"… _I'm_ your favorite?"

A nod of confirmation. He still didn't know what to make of it. So why hadn't he chosen the one that smelled like him? Was he trying to tell him something?

"Kowalski, Rico!" Both of their attentions turned to the head quarter's fishbowl entrance, where Skipper had poked his head through. The leader raised an eyebrow, seeing them so close and smirked. "Isn't that cute?" Kowalski blushed, gently nudging Rico away again. "Now get up here boys. It's time for some training."

-

"Got your grenades, boys?" Skipper asked, raising an eyebrow at the others.

"Affirmative, Skipper," Kowalski nodded, holding up the blueberries they'd snagged from the zoo's storage. Private had the same, but Rico and Skipper had blackberries.

"Perfect," Skipper nodded. "Any part of the zoo is fair game, excluding the carnivore exhibits. Rico and I will start on the west side, you and Private start on the east. You have five minutes to plan a strategy, then it's fair game. Team to have the least amount of berry stains at the end of the hour wins. Understood?"

Private gave a quick salute, smiling excitedly. "Ready when you are, Skippa'!"

"Good. Now…" The other three tensed up, waiting to fire off the moment he said the word. "Go!"

Kowalski and Private hopped the fence of the exhibit, sliding on their stomachs toward the east side, while the other two started toward the west.

-

"What's the plan, K'walski?" Private asked, standing on his tiptoes to try and get a look at the tallest penguin's notes.

"Skipper is likely to take a stealthy approach, while Rico will be more head-on," Kowalski pointed out. "I'm thinking a Vienna defense approach. You go forward first and I'll be back several yards to keep an eye out for Skipper."

Private cringed. "So, I'll be taking on Rico, then?"

Kowalski chuckled a little nervously. "Don't worry Private. Skipper will be sure to tell him not to use lethal force. Besides, your size makes your chances of dodging the berries higher than my own."

"Well… okay." Private gave a little nod.

"We have about thirty seconds before the game starts."

-

Kowalski pressed his back into a tree, peering out from behind it. Private was a good seven minutes ahead of him and so far, there had been no sign of the others. Not so much as a sound, other than the usual zoo life.

He yelped as suddenly, he felt something squish against his back. He turned on his heel and spotted Rico, standing on the fence of one of the exhibits, a psychotic grin on his face. His flippers were full of blackberries, absolutely ready.

_Skipper must have figured that I would figure he would be stealth,_ Kowalski realized, taking a step back. _That means he must be up against Private right now._ And against Rico, he knew he didn't stand a chance. He was a strategies expert, he thought of a good plan according to his opponent. The problem being that most of his strategies had been made on the assumption that Skipper would be his opponent, and Rico wouldn't give him nearly enough time to think of a new one.

"Now Rico… you don't really want to do this do y-" too late. Rico launched another berry, forcing Kowalski to duck to avoid getting hit.

Rico laughed, hopping down from the fence and the two began circling each other. It was obvious he was enjoying this little training exercise. Kowalski wasn't surprised and, though he'd become Rico's new target practice, he couldn't help finding some amusement in his teammate's enthusiasm.

Rico launched another berry and Kowalski dropped onto his stomach, sliding toward him. The weapons expert jumped over him, throwing yet another and Kowalski flinched as he got a blackberry to his right flipper. He was never going to be able to keep up, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

He flipped over, taking one of the blueberries he had and catapulting it. He really shouldn't have been surprised when Rico opened his mouth, snapping down on it and swallowing.

"Hey, that's not part of the rules," Kowalski complained, pushing himself up.

Rico chuckled, stepping closer to him. Kowalski scooted himself back, sure he was going to get hit with another berry. "Ric- AHH!" He yelped again in surprise when he was tackled playfully. "Rico!"

Rico found a seat on his stomach, holding him down by the shoulders. Kowalski felt his face heat up, but he did his best not to act as embarrassed as he was. "They have names for people like you," he pointed out. "I believe the term is 'Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater'."

The shorter penguin gave another little chortle, his deep voice rumbling softly. He leaned down, lightly nuzzling Kowalski's neck. He could feel the strategies expert tense up nervously and he pulled back a little, cocking his head to the side questioningly.

Kowalski laughed nervously, his flippers resting flat against the ground, not sure what to do with them. "Rico, maybe, uh… this isn't…" He flinched a little under his teammate's dark eyes, feeling that he had his complete attention. He fell silent, not really sure what to say.

That seemed to be enough for Rico. He didn't think about it, he just did it, leaning down and rubbing their beaks together. Kowalski completely froze for a second. There were a number of things which he could of done to stop this, all of which flashed through his head. Instead, he leaned closer, returning the surprisingly gentle nestle.

Kowalski's face had to be beat-red beneath his feathers, looking up to see the wide smile on the psychotic penguin's face. Suddenly, Rico grabbed a blackberry, smushing it right between his taller teammate's eyes. He then stood up and took off running.

Kowalski made a face, wiping the berry away. "Pumpkin eater!" he called as Rico disappeared into the brush. The intellectual penguin still wore a smile.


	5. You Think Too Much

**Impulse**

**Chapter 5: You Think Too Much**

"Oh Kowalski, took one right between the eyes?" Skipper asked, smirking as he glanced toward the tall penguin. Looking him and Private, Kowalski could tell they'd had quite a good fight. Both had various stains in their feathers, though not nearly as much as he did. As he'd predicted, he hadn't stood a chance against Rico. He was happy to say, however, he'd gotten a few shots in.

"Uh, yes, I did," the strategies expert chuckled nervously, moving a flipper to wipe away some of the blackberry juice.

"Well, that's what you get for looking at that notebook all the time," Skipper pointed out, giving him a light pat on the back.

The truth his, Kowalski hadn't so much as glanced at his notebook since running into Rico. It had mostly just been fun and games, trying to catch Rico before the shorter penguin could catch him. They'd sort of, uh… dropped the rules a little.

"That training exercise was fun, Skippa'," Private commented as he wet a rag, using it to wipe his face. "We should do it again."

Kowalski smiled faintly as he watched the way Skipper almost melted in the youngest penguin's flippers. Whether he liked to admit it or not, the leader had quite the soft spot for him. Shaking his head, he moved to climb up the ladder to the fishbowl exit, planning on jumping into the pool to wash off.

-

"Hey K'walski!"

Kowalski looked up at the sound of his name, offering Private a smile. "Hello Private," he greeted. "I see you managed to get all the berries out."

"Yes, I did," Skipper sat at the edge of the pool, dipping his webbed feet into the water and kicking playfully. "I was just wondering, K'walski…"

"Yes Private?" the taller penguin asked, climbing out of the pool and shaking himself off, causing his feathers to poof out a little bit, but he smoothed them down again.

"Well… it's just that you and Rico seem to be spendin' a lot of time together, is all…" Kowalski froze at that smallest penguin's words, turning to face him. "I was just wonderin'… Did somethin' happen?"

Kowalski laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Did something happen?" he repeated, trying to play the part of aloof. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

Private gave a little shrug, glancing down at the water. "It's just that Rico even left his doll the other day, I thought…"

"You thought… what?"

"Oh… it's nothin'." Private shook his head, standing up again. "It's silly, really. Don't worry about it."

As the smallest penguin turned to leave, all Kowalski could do was stare. Had Private figured it out? He still wasn't sure about it himself, but all signs seemed to point to one thing. And in all honestly, Kowalski kind of _liked_ where all those signs pointed. He was enjoying the attention that Rico gave him, the little nuzzles and careless games…

But what did that mean for him?

-

Kowalski turned his fish over, staring at it pensively. For once he wished his thoughts would just go away, at least for the moment. Would it really be so bad if he were right about everything? If he were right and he let it happen? After all, he couldn't see how something… happening between Rico and himself could be a problem for the team. If anything, it would only make them stronger, right?

The intellectual knew this wasn't particularly true. And number of things could happen that could completely cause the team to break apart. That was one of the last things Kowalski wanted.

"Kowalski!"

The strategies expert's gaze snapped up at the sound of his name, saying the first response that he could think of, "The numerical value of pi!" The other three penguins stared at him with raised eyebrows. He laughed nervously, fidgeting his flippers. "I mean… yes Skipper?"

"What is with you, man?" Skipper asked, raising an eyebrow. "I called your name four times!"

"Five, actually," Private spoke up.

"I called your name five times!"

"I was just…," Kowalski shrugged helplessly, clearing his throat. "Sorry Skipper. Just… lost in thought?"

"What have I told you about that, soldier?" Skipper asked, shaking his head a little bit. Figures. Kowalski had always been in his own head a little too much.

"Sorry. Won't happen again."

"See to it that it doesn't. And pass the ice."

Kowalski did as he was told, pushing the ice tray to the group leader. He turned his attention again, his eyes locking for a moment with Rico's dark ones. Was he thinking about this to much? Messing with his own head?

The strategies expert continued poking at his meal even as the other penguins finished, taking their dishes to the sink. As Rico passed, Kowalski felt a brief nuzzle at the back of his neck. He closed his eyes, allowing himself a small shiver.

-

"Private?"

Blinking, the smallest penguin turned to see who addressed him. Not that he had to really. He and Kowalski were the only ones in the head quarters, Skipper and Rico having gone for a joy ride in the car.

"Yes K'walski?"

Kowalski glanced nervously at the fishbowl entrance, not wanting the others to get back before he had time to talk to Private. He cleared his throat, moving to sit down across from him. "I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something…" They all had their talents and abilities. Private happened to be the most sensitive one, the one that knew most when it came to feelings and emotions. It made sense to talk to him, right?

"What about?"

"Well…" Kowalski shifted uncomfortably before releasing a deep breath. "You said you… noticed Rico and me, didn't you? That we've been spending more time together?" the taller penguin leaned closer, obviously eager to hear what he had to say.

"Uh…" Private leaned back a little as Kowalski got closer. "Y-yes. I did…"

"I want to know what you were going to say, before. When you mentioned it."

"Oh…" Private blinked slowly, cocking his head to the side. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Private. I'm positive."

"Well… okay…" The smaller penguin rubbed the back of his head. "I was just… It seemed like Rico really liked you. I mean… y'know… _liked_ you. I mean, he looked at you the way he used to look at his doll…" Private paused, watching nervously as Kowalski fell silent.

After a long silenced, "K'walski?"

Kowalski blinked, shaking his head. So… it wasn't just him? He wasn't just… over thinking everything. "Really?"

Private blinked and smiled slowly. "You like him, don't you?"

The taller penguin's face flushed darkly. "Well, uh-"

Private gave a soft giggle of delight, clapping his flippers. "Oh, that's wonderful!" He was the one to lean forward this time, eager to hear more about this. "Are you going to tell him?"

Kowalski stared down at his feet. "I'm… not so sure that's a good idea."

Private's happy expression fell. "Why not?" he asked.

"Well…" Kowalski sighed heavily. "It could compromise the team. If something were to go wrong with us, then-"

"Do you think something will go wrong?" Private cut him off, frowning.

The intellectual penguin stopped at the question, frowning. _Rico and I are completely different…_ he reminded himself. _I take my time, calculate everything, he acts completely on impulse. That's how all of this happened. But, I've always kind of _admired_ that about him… and it's a proven fact that opposites attract._

After several minutes of silence, Private spoke up again. "I think you're thinking about it too much, K'walski," he told his teammate.

"Maybe… Maybe you're right…"

Private smiled widely and stood up, patting the other penguin on the back. "Good luck." With that he turned, leaving Kowalski to his own thoughts again.


	6. Untouchable

**Impulse**

**Chapter 6: Untouchable**

Kowalski went over each situation in his head. All the possibilities that each option could lead to. He'd thought about just out right telling Rico, but no matter how many times he went over them, no words sounded right for this situation.

Besides… he was certain he'd only end up horribly embarrassing himself, stumbling over his own words.

He considered a more traditional form of courting. That idea, of course, was quickly tossed out the window the moment he thought of handing a bouquet of flowers to the manic penguin. Ever possible reaction he went through in his mind ended with Rico hitting him over the head with something whether it be the flowers, a fish, or a hammer.

Suggestive pick up lines or subtle flirting? Rico would either laugh at him or completely miss it.

So what was he supposed to do? It wasn't as if he could just… walk up to him and do something right?

Kowalski stopped himself at the sudden, frustrated thought. That was Rico had been doing this entire time. Just acting. As far as he could tell, his teammate didn't consider the possibilities, didn't go over everything that could go wrong. It was almost like the time they'd been… uh… 'attacked' by those chameleons. The moment he stopped thinking for a while…

Taking a deep breath, Kowalski stood up. This wasn't a battle he was going to lose.

-

Rico furrowed his brows in thought. He stared down at his game of solitaire, letting out a frustrated sound when he realized he couldn't make any moves. Growling, he was about to regurgitate a small explosive on the game when he felt a flipper rest on his back.

Blinking, he turned his eyes to see Kowalski. The taller penguin took his card, setting it down, and Rico watched in amazement as he went through the motions of the game until the cards were all placed nicely in four little stacks, kings on top.

Brainy bastard.

He gave a soft grunt and Kowalski chuckled. The weapons expert was pleasantly surprised when he felt the nudge of the other's beak against his neck; the first time the taller penguin had initiated such a contact. He turned his head, returning the nuzzle.

Kowalski took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves as he moved closer into his teammate's personal space. He nudged Rico back, touching their breaks together.

_So far so good_, Kowalski realized. He didn't feel any objects driving through his skull, or explosions bursting him into tiny pieces. _So then… are we…?_

Rico released a disappointed whimper as Kowalski pulled back again. He tried to lean closer, but the taller penguin pressed a flipper to his chest, lightly holding him back. 'I just… want to know…" Well, it wouldn't be him if he stopped thinking the entire time. "Are we-?"

"Soldiers, alert!"

Both jumped as they heard their leaders voice from above the headquarters. Kowalski turned his eyes to the mute penguin, conflicted for a moment. He wanted so badly to just ignore it this one time, to press further… but he knew that if he did that Skipper would have both of their heads.

He leaned in, just touching his beak to Rico's once more before hurrying up the ladder. Rico sat for a moment, frustrated with the team leader, who always seemed to choose the wrong times to call them, and curious to hear what Kowalski wanted to ask.

Grumbling, he stood up and started after the strategies expert.

-

Kowalski couldn't explain the feeling. Just suddenly, after that moment, he couldn't face Rico, not when they were alone. He'd lost the courage he'd worked so hard to build up, afraid of what Rico might say… or rather do, seeing as he never really said anything.

For the most part, he stuck around Skipper, figuring that not even Rico would be so bold as to try and confront the problem in front of the team leader.

Kowalski had never been so wrong.

"I'm telling you, Private, it's 'platypi'!"

"No, Skippa', I really, _really_ think it's 'platypuses'."

The intellectual sat back with an amused smile on his face, watching his teammates struggle with the constant inconsistencies of the English language. It was kind of cruel when you thought about it too much.

"Well then what about octopus?"

"… Octopuses?"

Skipper groaned in frustration, finally turning his eyes to the smartest of the group. "Alright Kowalski, we give. Help us out here."

"I'm afraid Private's right Skipper," Kowalski responded, putting on a cocky little grin, knowing they had to turn to him for help. "The plural of platypus is 'platypuses'. As for octopus, any of several terms may be used, namely 'octopuses', 'octopi' or 'octopodes'-!" He cut off in surprise as he felt a body press against his back and a pair of flippers slide around him.

"R-Rico?!" he asked, alarmed. He glanced up, his face burning with embarrassment as he saw the surprise in the others' expressions as well. Kowalski had never seen Skipper so flustered, obviously not sure of what to make of the situation, and not sure of how to react.

Rico didn't even bother with them, turning his head to nuzzle the taller penguin's neck in a way that was more than just affectionate.

"Rico-" the leader started, but a tap on the shoulder from Private stopped him. "What?"

"M-Maybe we should check some _Zoobooks_? To make sure Kowalski's right?"

"What?" Skipper repeated. "Private-!"

He was grabbed by the flipper and quickly dragged out, leaving poor Kowalski to face the situation. "R-Rico…" he repeated, trying to find words.

The hefty penguin grunted, shifting so that he was in front of his teammate. Kowalski stood, hoping to avoid from getting trapped by the other, but it was no use. Rico simply pushed him back into the wall. Judging by the glare he had earned from the shorter penguin, Kowalski saw that Rico obviously wasn't pleased with how he'd been handling this.

He felt a little wave of guilt. _I suppose I haven't been very fair here… _"Look, I was just…" Kowalski trailed off, frowning under Rico's hard gaze. _Is he actually… hurt?_ It was such a strange concept, to think of the weapons expert as anything less than untouchable. Then again, the scar that crossed over the corner of the shorter penguin's beak reminded him that it _was_ possible, even if that was physical, while this was more emotional.

"I'm…" he paused, swallowing thickly, "Sorry…"

For a moment, Rico held the glare, but soon (and to Kowalski's delight), it faded. He leaned in again, touching their beaks together before nuzzling against him. Kowalski's flippers moved to wrap around him.

Perhaps it was best to ignore the questions of what this was and just go with it.


	7. The Talk

**Impulse**

**Chapter 7: The Talk**

Kowalski sat back nervously, tapping his flippers together. On the other side of the headquarters, he could see Skipper and Private speaking fervently. Skipper had yet to say a word to either himself or Rico. He didn't know what to make of it.

The intellectual glanced to the side, his eyes falling on Rico. He was playing with a deck of cards, completely calm. The weapons expert glanced up, catching Kowalski's eyes. He smiled widely.

Kowalski was put a little more at ease. He returned the smile slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. At least Skipper had seemed to calm down a little since he first came back. He felt a little bad for letting Private take the worst of the leader's temper, but he'd always been better at handling Skipper anyways.

"Kowalski!"

The strategies expert tensed, glancing up as he heard his name. Skipper motioned for him to follow, starting up the ladder to the fishbowl entrance. Hesitantly, he began to follow.

"Good luck," Private whispered as he passed.

-

They were silent for a while as they walked. Kowalski couldn't help but notice they were heading where no one would hear. He wasn't sure if this was for privacy or if Skipper was going to kill him and hide his body. He cringed at the idea, knowing he was being a little paranoid, but the idea wasn't too far fetched, when he considered whom he was following.

Finally, when they reached the back of the Zoovenir shop, Skipper turned to face him, putting his flippers on his hips. He raised an expectant eyebrow, but Kowalski wasn't sure what it is he wanted. Still, he wasn't going to keep the leader waiting long, knowing that could be even more dangerous than saying the wrong thing.

"I-I didn't mean to… Rico and I, we-"

Skipper rolled his eyes, cutting the taller penguin off, "Private says you love him."

Kowalski paused, frowning. Love was such a strong word. One he hadn't stopped to consider. _A chemical reaction in the brain that induces bliss. Highly addictive._ By scientific definition, that was exactly what he felt, but he knew that wasn't the way it worked when it came to emotions. Relationships.

So then, was that it? He loved all three of his teammates, of course, in a way. One didn't live and work with someone for so long without developing such strong bonds. But it wasn't the same. His feelings toward Rico were so much stronger. More than attraction and affection.

"Kowalski!"

His gaze snapped up again, blinking.

"Turn off the old noggin for a minute, man! Do you or do you not?"

"Yes," his answer was instant, surprising even him.

Skipper nodded, tapping his beak in thought. If things had already gotten so far, he imagined that forcing them to stop would only do more harm than good. Still, there were many things to consider. He'd seen in-team relationships before, some that lasted and some that hadn't.

"Alright, Kowalski. First thing's first," Skipper said finally, crossing his flippers. "Believe me, if you break his heart, you'll be running drills for weeks!"

"B-Break his heart?" the taller penguin repeated nervously, his face flushing.

"Same thing goes for him," the leader added. "If you guys split on bad terms this team will go to pieces!" This was starting to feel like one of those 'man-to-man' talks, but with Skipper playing parent on both parts, Kowalski noticed, cringing at the idea. "And also, no more of that stuff in front of Private. He's just a boy you know."

Kowalski rubbed the back of his head, unsure of how to respond to all of this, simply nodding.

"And last," Skipper continued, "make sure you keep this away from the missions, got it? Can't have my boys getting distracted while we're up against an enemy!"

The strategies expert made the mental note to make sure that Skipper never found out about Rico cuddling with him while they were supposed to be on recon duty. "R-Right."

"Good." Skipper said calmly, as if nothing at all had changed. "I'll have the same talk with Rico." Kowalski nodded again, obviously still stunned. The leader raised an eyebrow and sighed, letting himself relax a little. "How long has this cuddles and googly eyes been going on anyways?"

"A-a few days," Kowalski laughed nervously, tapping his flippers together again. "R-Rico just kind of…" he shrugged.

Skipper laughed. "I knew you wouldn't have enough guts to make the first move."

Kowalski flushed darker, sure that the red was visible even through the feathers on his face. "I have guts!" he protested.

"Guts that you never listen to," the shorter penguin countered, raising a playful eyebrow.

Kowalski fell silent, knowing that Skipper was right.

-

"What do you think, Skippa'?" Private asked, sitting down next to the team leader, a little grin on his face. At the other side of the headquarters, he could see Kowalski and Rico playing with dominoes, setting up a very complicated array of the little white blocks to be later knocked over.

"About what, Private?" Skipper asked coolly, his own eyes fixed on their teammates. They seemed to be lost in their own little world, completely unaware to the things going on around them. He'd have to fix that. Later, though. Now he'd let the two lovebirds have their good times.

"About them," Private answered, frowning faintly. "Do you think-"

"Rico, wait-!" Kowalski cried, but it was too late. The weapons expert had already knocked down a domino, and with it went two hundred and three more.

Rico laughed with delight, sitting back and sending the tallest penguin a huge grin. Kowalski sighed in exasperation and returned the grin. "Again?"

"Again!" the hefty penguin repeated, nodding enthusiastically, and once more, they began setting the dominoes up.

Skipper glanced at Private, not even needing to wait for him to finish what he'd been saying. "I think they'll be fine."


End file.
